MARKET REPORTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9268, 24 November 1890, Page 2

MARKET REPORTS.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. (associated with the National M. and A. Company of N.Z., Limited), report for the week ending Nov. 24 •, 1890: Wheat, —Business is very qviet. There' is very little shipping to London being done just now and millers are not buying, excepting a few small .outside mills. Tuscan 3s 5d to 3s Gd, Pearl 3s 3d to 3s 4d, Hunter’s 3s 3d. Oats. —Transactions are on a limited scale, but more business would result were freights lower to New South Wales. Locally the trade are well supplied. Quotations are:—Milling Is 7d, short feed Is 4d to Is sd, Duns Is sd, common aorta Is 4d. Barley. —Market stagnant, excepting for a little feed quality at Is 6d, malting, nominally, 2s 6d to 3s. Potatoes have had a little inquiry from Dunedin, but the outlet is not extensive. The value remains at 15s, country stations. Beans are quiet, at 2s 6d. Peas have also little inquiry, at 2a 9d to 3s. J Grabs Seeds are out of season, and values are purely nominal, at 4s 6d to 5s for ryegrass, and 4d to 4Jd for cocksfoot. Dairy Produce.— Cheese 3£d, butter 7-Jd. Quotations are f.0.b., sacks extra. Sales.-— We have disposed of several lines during the week, comprising milling and feed wheat, barley, oats, &c., &o. The New Zealand Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Association op Limited, report as follows for the week ending Nov. 21:— Wheat. The market is unchanged but with a quieter flour trade. Millers are not keen buyers. Prime Tuscan 3s 6d and 3a 7d, Velvet and Pearl 3s sd, Hunter’s 3s 4d. Oats. —A slightly improved inquiry is noticeable, but prices are without alteration, Prime milling Is 6d and Is 7d, short feed Is 6d, and Danish la 4d. Barley. —No transactions in this cereal are reported. Potatoes. Southern and Sydney markets having shown some improvement, holders have had an opportunity of quitting, and sales have taken place on the basis of 80s to 32s 6d, f.o.b. Exports for the week are as follow : Wheat, 2268 sacks; oats, 3105 sacks; barley, 2368 sacks; flour, 312 sacks, potatoes, 3180 sacks; seed, 256 sacks; butter, 35 kegs; bacon, 25 cases; cheese, 5 cases. Messrs Wilson and Sons’ report of markets at Farmers’ Saleyards for last week:—A recovery from a week’s debauch brought us face to face with large supplies of poultry, pigs, horses, &c., and increased attention to business, the yards being crowded with business men and lookerson, of which there are always a strong muster; but of course all must have a learning, as well as to know what their neighbours are doing; curiosity carries some people a long way, if not a wrong one. The poultry sale began at eleven sharp, and from the quantity before us we saw we had our work cut out for the hour allotted to this part of the business, and with push and tact we got through with five minutes to spare with following results:—Hens, young and old cluckers and non-cluckers 2s 6d td 3s, roosters from 3s to 4s. Eeally good birds of this class are getting scarcer every week. Of course young ones will soon fill their places. Ducks 4s to 4s 9d. Pair supply, but no young ones. We are looking for them, but are under the impression the old ones have been sold so freely through the unusually high prices that the breeding stock has been reduced. Geese, 5s to 6s. Old ones are very seedy looking, and young ones are on the green side of life. No doubt every week will bring heavier birds. Turkeys, we quote big prices for good wellfed birds of both sexes—hens 9s to 10s, cocks 21s to 235. These are unusual prices, such as we have never got till the last few weeks. I '' Inferior birds do not get these prices. We quote all poultry at per pair. Pigs—Large yardage, and with one exception all sold," although no large buyers were in the market, which speaks well for the business. We have a steady market, and expect it to continue for some time about on the present lines. Prices—Suckers from 6s 6d to 10s; some very ratty things did not reach this; our quotation covers the ordinary class of good suckers. Stores found a ready market, being bought up to finish the old stocks of potatoes at 12s to 18s 6d. Sows sold well; sows with litters of six or seven covered £3 ; pigging sows we sell at full values, and dry ones find ready buyers at good prices to fatten up. The idea of fattening up pigs only in winter has exploded now. We can fatten at any time and find a market as good at Christmas as in June. This wili work a complete change over the whole pig business and induce regular trade and production. Fat pork sold satisfactorily, some at fully 3jd, competition being good ; and this is being done while lamb and veal is fully in the market, so we do not expect much change in this part of the business. Horses.—We had a fair supply and several sales were made; the inferior class being at small prices seem to sell most freely. We have inquiries for a few town harness horses. In traps we still continue to turn them over, having great variety, from a wheelbarrow to a £6O park phaeton. In drays we cannot bo equalled for quality and price, and this keeps things moving. Spring carts, too, we do a large trade. To quote sales would not give the reader much idea of values without seeing the articles, but we try to get something reasonable, while it must be understood we do not get builders’ prices. A large lot of sundries get on our hands, so that many things can be found were you would hardly expect to find them. For these we find a market either by auction-or private sale. Inside sale on Saturday for a couple of hours did fairly well; quantities of bacon, cheese, furniture and general goods were placed. Produce, consisting of potatoes, grain, chaff, grass seeds are part of our business. In potatoes we turn quantities over every week. WeJtry to keep as near a pound per ton as possible; it just pays for picking and carriage, with a littlo for growing. We find many hundreds of tons are still in growers’ hands; they have been to the idea that the fates might turn in their favour, even at the eleventh hour; but now we have drawn near the hour of twelve for holders, and they certainly show the elongation of visage near like the proverbial motherless foal. Wisdom should grow by experience; we will hope it may be so to our friends the holders of potatoes. Wisdom bought is always the best, if not at too high a price ; but some have paid that, as one said to us this week " I have 400 tons, and I am a ruined man.” Property.—We find the elections are, to say the least, putting things into a state of unrest. Speculators will wait now-until they see who goes to the front, and what

we may expect in the near future—whether it will be a bursting up or down. Messrs J. R. Kino and Co. report, for week ending Nov. 15, on the live stock, grain and produce markets: —At our* usual Saturday's sale there was an unusual number of buyers. The supplies of live' stock in two departments—namely, pigs j and poultry—were very large. Dairy stock and horses were poorly represented. Keen, competition was manifested throughout the sale, the result being that we have *td record a considerable advance in values for both pigs and poultry. Strong store pigs found buyers at fully 3s per head more than late market quotations. Porkers' changed hands in some instances at as much as 6s per head advance. Altogether, it was the most successful sale of pigs we have held for some time. Poultry of every class found a ready sale, and notwithstanding that the supply was large tho demand, apparently, was not nearly satisfied. The class most in request was young roosters, turkeys, young ducks and pullets. Live stock quotations :—Hens, 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2s 9d, 3s 3s 6d, 3s 9d; roosters, 3s, 3s 6d, 3s 9d, 4a and up to 8s for some good sorts; fowls, 2s, 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2s 9d, 3s, 3s 3d; ducklings, 2a 6d; ducks, 3s 9d, 4s, 4s 6d, 4s 9d, Ss; goslings, 43,4 s 3d, 4a ,6d; geese, ss, 5s 6d, 6s ; turkeys—hens, 9a 6d; gobblers, 14s to 16s; pigeons. Is 6d, 2a, 2s 6d; pigs, 4s 9d, ss, 5s 3d, 5s 6d, 5a 9d. 6s, 6s 3d, 6a 6d, 6s 9d,75. 7a 6d, 8s 3d, Ss 6d, 9a, 10s, lls, 11s 3d, 12s. 12s Gd, 13s, 13s 6d, 14s, 16a, 16s Gd, 17a, 17s 6d, 18a 6d, 20s and upwards ; calves, from 5s to 17s 6d. Grain' and produce—The wheat market remains firm and sales are readily effected at from 3s 5d to 3s 6d for Tuscan; Pearl, 3s 4d to 3s sd; Hunter’s White, 3s 3d to 3s 4d, f.o.b. Oats—Large parcels are being offered, but buyers cannot be induced to operate freely. Business in this cereal is, therefore, dull. We would nob be surprised to find that many farmers who can afford to do so will carry forward their stock until nest year. Best quotations are—For prime milling Is 6d to la Bd, short feed Is 6d, thinner sorts Is 3d to Is 4d; barley, malting 3s to 3s Id, feed Is 5d to Is 8d (a good-local demand exists for the latter kind) ; beaus, 2s 6d; peas, 2s 3d to 2s 4d. Potatoes have improved in' value. Satisfactory account sales for lata shipments are now coming forward from Sydney, but the lateness of the season renders it very risky , shipping .just now.Prices nominally from 15s to 20s per ton. Oatsheaf chaff, 35s to 40s per ton; bran and pollard, £2 10s for the former, il3 10a for the latter. Dairy Produce. Good prime keg butter is worth 6d to 6ld, cheese 3d to 3id and up to 4d, with a good demand. Clearing Sales.—We have conducted two very successful ones during the week, one on Ferry road, consisting of the stock-in-trade of a coaohbuilder; very satisfactory prices were obtained. The other consisted of farm implements and live stock, which was realised to the satisfaction of our client. Land.—A con-| siderable demand is going on; suburban sections with from three to four acres are readily placed, if not too heavily handi-. capped in price. Good farms in desirable' localities are sought after.